


Drifting Away

by SusieBeeca



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Astronomy, Drift Away, Gen, Homeworld (Steven Universe), Homeworld is Horrible, Pre-Canon, steven universe the movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 20:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20841350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SusieBeeca/pseuds/SusieBeeca
Summary: Pink Diamond does like Spinel, but she's still so young... she had no idea how to broach a difficult topic.





	Drifting Away

“Ha!”

That one little burst of laughter sounded soft, but it cut into Pink’s soul like it had been whittled all pointy and sharp. She didn’t turn.

“I found you!”

The starlight above cast dim, watery shadows all around her, and she bit her lip when she saw a familiar silhouette cut across the asteroid’s surface. Stock-still, she watched as Spinel’s arm looped around her waist and wrapped up high enough to give her nose a tweak. “Boop! You’re it!”

_Why must this be so hard?_

Her belly clenched. “Yes. I’m it. But…”

She made a point of softening her expression before turning around, and as she tucked her legs under her body, she leaned forward and placed the very tip of her finger against Spinel’s nose. She was still so soft, so warm, so _new_. Forcing a smile, Pink kissed where her cheek and said “Let’s play a new game. It’s called Truth or Dare.”

Although she pulled a frown, Pink could tell it was an act—nothing more than a mask, a silly gesture. “Aw, really? I was hoping for another round of ‘I Spy’!”

Her fingernails bit into her palms. “No, Spinel. We’ve played ‘I Spy’ too many times now.”

She squealed as she bounced on her spring-like legs. “Yup-yup-yuppers! And I won every time! You always spied a star. But I think that you could spy something different if you looked hard enough. For example---!”

And before she could react, Spinel grabbed her face and wrenched it around. “See that up there? That’s a supernova!”

She had to pry herself out of Spinels grip inch by inch, and try as she might, Pink couldn’t keep the resentment from bubbling up in her gut. “Yes, it’s very pretty. But---”

“Do you know how supernovas are formed?”

Pink ‘s nose crinkled. “Spinel. Listen to me.”

She snapped upright with a Diamond salute that was only a little wobbly around the edges. “Aye-aye, Cap’n!”

After a moment of smoothing her uniform back in place, Pink placed her palms on the ground and looked her little toy in the eye. “Truth or Dare,” she said, biting the words through her teeth. “Pick one. And it better be good.”

“Of course! For you, I’ll _always_ be good.” Spinel crossed her ankles and then dropped right to the ground with her legs spooling out around her. After a moment of pondering, she giggled and leaned closer. “Um… Truth!”

Pink grinned. “Would you rather watch one star, or a whole bunch of them?”

“Oh! That one’s easy!” Her eyes closed, and Spinel wound her arms up and around the back of her head. Her gloved fingers were poking around the base of her tufted pigtails, and for a moment she looked almost dreamy, as close to ‘contemplative’ as this foolish gem could ever get. “Tons and tons of stars are better than just one!”

Pink nodded. “So you wouldn’t mind stargazing for… um… awhile, would you?”

“Are you kidding? I just love looking up to the Heavens! The only thing better is playing with you!” 

Her eyes twinkled, and Pink felt a pang, cold and brutal---but she quickly crushed it before she could think twice. Before it could truly cut her. “Of course,” she murmured, and swallowed heavily. That smashed little burble of emotion had hard edges, and they felt prickly in her core.

“Hey, best buddy?”

“…Yes?”

When Spinel blinked, her pupils swelled, though not enough to dim the glimmer of light within her. “Everything okay? You look kinda sad.”

They stared at each other, and the silence lingered. A moment passed. Then another. Then a comet went streaking past their asteroid, the thin atmosphere crackling in its frozen tail. As tiny flecks of ice rained down upon them, Spinel jumped to her feet and raised her hands into the sparkling crystal cloud.

“Oh! My Diamond!” she shrieked. “Look! Pink, look!”

She did, but she kept silent as the interstellar snowflakes floated around them. A few landed on her bare arms.

They were much colder than expected.

Spinel was dancing in the snowfall. Her glee couldn’t be contained; under the scalding light of the comet, she did a few quick flip-flops, head over heels, and then nestled herself back down by her Diamond. There were silver wisps shimmering in her hair, on her eyelashes, on the little button of her nose.

“Oh my gosh!” she giggled, twisting her fingers together. “Didja see that?”

She got to her feet. “I did.” She cleared her throat as something occurred to her: “You know what’s amazing about comets?”

She blinked. “No…?”

“Comets are… well, they’re just these little things that got thrown away.” Pink’s eyelids felt heavy, so heavy. It felt like there was a tiny neutron star in her soul, sucking the joy from everywhere at once. “But they’re still pretty and wonderful.” Her face was weary when she looked back to her plaything. “Do you understand?”

“Um. Yup!” she said. Poor thing couldn’t lie to save her life.

Pink had to bite her lip to hold down her growing scowl. “Oh? Then explain it to me.”

Her eyes crossed a moment, and then Spinel bent over backwards, her rubbery legs flying up and over her body---then back into place, then back straight up, then down into a curtsy. Her fragmented eyes were still dark, and yet they glittered. “Pretty things get thrown away all the time,” she chirped. “I mean, you’re a _Diamond_! You get anything you want, and anything you _don’t_ want goes…” She lifted a hand and made a dunking motion. “Psssht! Right?”

Oh, damn. Even the muffled emotions were starting to cut like glass. Trying not to whimper, Pink began to speak…

And then their hands touched.

It took awhile, but eventually they both pulled back. It took only a few more beats for them to smile at each other.

Raising a hand to Spinel’s cheek, Pink caressed her gently and whispered “If you got the chance to watch comets and stars and supernovas… would you like that, my dearest?”

Her whole face brightened. “Oh, that sounds _lovely!_”

The cold shards of guilt inside her began to melt. “Okay.”

She rose back to her feet, but just a moment before she’d absolved herself of all reproach, she heard Spinel speak in a voice so tiny it was barely recognizable:

“…But only if you’re there to watch them with me.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not quite sure where I wanted to go with this, but I still had a lot of fun writing it. I wish I could have included more space nerd stuff, TBH ;)


End file.
